A 15-year-old photo and a magazine expose reunite a rock star with the girl he left behind on the road to stardom. But sweet Serena Jeffries is all grown up now. Will she give sexy Finn "Riff" Logan a second chance to win back her heart?
Finn "Riff" Logan's band blasted to the top of the rock charts fifteen years ago with the bittersweet single, Beautiful Girl, and has dominated the music scene ever since. Riff has it all -- except the woman he left behind.
Widow Serena Jeffries isn't the same sweet young thing who lost her heart -- and everything else -- to the local bad boy. Her life is filled with family, friends and the satisfaction of knowing she's earned her success. And if her love life is less than sensational...well, something's gotta give.
When Celebrity magazine splashes an old photo of the young lovers on newsstands across the nation, revealing that Serena is the inspiration behind Beautiful Girl, Riff seizes his chance to win her back.
Can Serena get over the pain of the past to build a future with the man she never stopped loving?
Excerpt
The subdued ring woke him. Barely. Riff groggily rolled towards the night table, then stopped as the sheet bunched near-painfully around his hips and groin. That woke him up. He snatched the phone out of the cradle and snarled, "What?!"
Nothing but a dial tone -- and something was still ringing. The fog cleared a bit more. His cell phone. Which was on the dresser across the room. Crap. You'd think Dan would realize he'd be reachable on the hotel phone until at least the ass-crack of frickin' dawn. Riff untangled himself from the sheet and stumbled naked to the dresser. He squinted at the illuminated keypad and display, which were obscenely bright in the otherwise pitch-black room. No number was listed in the tiny window. The electronic ring sounded again. Riff stabbed at the "talk" button with clumsy fingers.
"What?!"
"Riff, it's me."
"Milo? Do you know what time it is?" He scanned the room but came up with zero in the clock hunt. "Fuck. Okay, I don't know what time it is, but it's still dark." It didn't help that he'd gone to bed pissed about the Tam situation; a restless sleep hadn't improved his mood.
His manager was unfazed by Riff's foul temper, though the cause wasn't what he thought. After all these years, he had a pretty good idea of his client's good points. Waking alert and cheerful generally wasn't one of them. "Yeah, sorry 'bout that. But I just found out something I think you'll want to know."
That sounded suitably ominous. Riff sat down in the thickly cushioned chair beside the dresser, automatically tossing the matching throw-pillow onto the floor. He sprawled back in the chair. "Yeah?" He was definitely wide awake now. If Milo thought it was worth waking him up for, it must be something important. Or bad. Or important and bad.
"I got a tip that Celebrity is doing an expose."
Riff felt his irritation both settle and surge. This was something he could handle, had handled. Milo knew that. But another part of him went on alert. From his manager's careful tone, this expose was different.
Ignoring the dark premonition, he demanded, "What is it this time? They dig up some nonexistent relatives I've left living in a shack somewhere? Some old transcripts that show my marks sucked and my teachers thought I'd never go anywhere? Oh, wait. They already did that. How 'bout my all-time favorite -- love child with some sweet young thing I've never laid hands on, let alone laid, period."
"Not quite. And they're not exactly doing it on you."
The bad feeling intensified. "What are you talking about?"
The sound of music and laughter came clearly over the line in the dead air left by Milo's silence. Knowing Milo, he was calling from some vitally unimportant see-and-be-seen party, the kind of thing Riff hated being trotted out at.
"Milo..." he growled warningly.
"They found your girl."
"What girl? I told you Milo, I haven't--"
"Beautiful Girl. The one you wrote about."
The air in the room felt hot against Riff's face, then burningly cold as the blood drained out of his cheeks and rushed back. He heard a faint plastic crack, and realized he was crushing the tiny cell phone in his hand. With conscious effort, he loosened his fingers.
"Riff? You still there?"
Riff dropped his head against the back of his chair and rubbed the heel of his hand into the renewed ache behind his forehead. "Yeah, Milo. I'm still here."
"Okay. Well, like I said, sorry I woke you. I just thought you'd wanna know."
He nodded, as if Milo were standing right there and could see him. He heard someone on the other end of the line call out. Milo's muffled voice responded, then got louder and clearer as he spoke into the phone again. "Right, Riff, if that's everythi--"
Riff jerked upright in the chair. "No!" He cleared his throat and lowered his voice to a less-panicked volume. "Hold on, Milo. Look, I need you to find out a few things and call me back. First, when's the story running. Second, where is she. And third ..." He paused. Was he doing the right thing? Fuck that. "What's her name."
Milo's barked laugh was full of disbelief. "You mean you don't know her name?"
"I did. She got married." With that, he thumbed the phone off and tossed it back on the dresser, not caring when it skittered across the polished surfaced and dropped to the floor.
Oh, shit. Serena. What was he going to do now?
Riff slumped back in the chair and stared sightlessly into the darkened room. Would it have been better if he'd never stopped that afternoon? Just kept driving and called a tow? At least then he wouldn't have had to do what he did. But then he never would have known Serena. And that would have been worse. He was sure of it.
Professional Reviews
5 Stars
"I loved this story! ... Riff's character is a perfect alpha with just a touch of bad boy. ... This was a good book with a solid storyline and great characters. I would absolutely recommend Serena's Song as a summer must read."
~ Just Erotic Romance Reviews
5 Cherries
Finn "Riff" Logan's band blasted to the top of the rock charts fifteen years ago with the bittersweet single, Beautiful Girl, and has dominated the music scene ever since. Riff has it all–except the woman he left behind.
Widow Serena Jeffries isn't the same sweet young thing who lost her heart–and everything else–to the local bad boy. Her life is filled with family, friends and the satisfaction of knowing she's earned her success. And if her love life is less than sensational…well, something's gotta give.
When Celebrity magazine splashes an old photo of the young lovers on newsstands across the nation, revealing that Serena is the inspiration behind Beautiful Girl, Riff seizes his chance to win her back.
Can Serena get over the pain of the past to build a future with the man she never stopped loving?
What a pleasure it was to get to know the characters in this book. They are so beautifully crafted that I felt I was experiencing life through their eyes rather than reading words on a page. I was so immersed in Finn and Serena's tale that I finished it in one sitting and was sad to see it end.
I viewed Serena as a welcome inspiration with her level-headed responses to confusing and chaotic situations. She is a soccer mom who is active in her quiet community when she is thrust into mayhem that she never asked for and doesn't want. She is understandably upset by the fact that the media are dogging her, but does she have a cow? No. Does she throw blame on Finn for the mess? Nope. Why? Because she's a rational, intelligent woman and can analyze an event in a logical manner to draw an appropriate conclusion. No whining for days, no stomping off in a huff, no misplaced anger, no drawn-out misunderstandings. I find that so refreshing! Serena is confronted with doubts, fears and insecurities, sure, but the unique thing about her is that her concerns don't get blown out of proportion. She handles them without the protracted drama and I was so grateful because I was able to adore her from beginning to end.
Finn "Riff" Logan is a rock star, which is a turn-on for most women by itself, but I love that he never got into the drug scene and he gives back, via charities and working with aspiring musicians, making him that much more attractive. He's not perfect, though, and I was really glad that he doesn't deny making use of freely offered female companionship because for me, it makes his character all the more realistic and believable. A gorgeous rocker is going to turn down voluptuous babes as they throw themselves at him?? I don’t think so. But his steadfast commitment to winning Serena back is most appealing to me about Finn. He doesn't waver or question it, or allow his fears to strangle his resolve; he simply and patiently does what is necessary to get her to give him a second chance.
My absolute favorite aspect of this novel is the intimacy between Serena and Finn during the love scenes. They are steamy, yes, but what makes them extraordinary is the power of the emotion; the sense of reverence that they have for one another is breathtaking, and it didn't matter the point of view I was experiencing; each worshipped the other with the same level of wonder and awe. I was blown away by their intensity.
Serena's Song is a sensory indulgence by a gifted writer. According to Raina's website — yes! I was looking for more — this is her first published work and all I can say is wow! I am already impatient for her next release.
~ Whipped Cream Reviews
4 Blue Ribbons
Riff Logan is a rock star who is on his way back up to the top of the charts. The one thing that he regrets is leaving behind the only woman he’s ever loved. When it is revealed that his love ballet is for a special woman, he knows it’s only a matter of time before the press hunt her down for the inside story. Can Riff go back and try to right the mistake he made as a young man?
Serena Jeffries had put the past behind her and moved on with her life, or so she thought until Riff makes the mistake of telling everyone that he wrote his love song for her. Now the press wants a piece of her and she can’t get a moments peace. When Riff shows up on her doorstep one thing is certain, the sparks are still flying between them and she doesn’t know how long she can resist him.
If you love stories about long lost love then you have to read this book. It gives you an inside look into the life of a rock star, but also shows that they have a history like everyone else. Riff is a great hero and the fact that he wants to make things right with Serena will really curl your toes. Serena is still in love with Riff and some things just never change. It just goes to prove you can move on with life, but you never really stop loving someone. I cheered for Serena and Riff to get back together and it is obvious from their moving love scenes that they belong with each other. Raina James is an author to watch and after reading SERENA’S SONG, I will be on the lookout for more of her clever writing.
~ Romance Junkies
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